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Checking your credit history and score frequently is one of the best ways to maintain financial health. It can help you identify if you are a victim of ID theft, enabling you to act fast and prevent further damage. Get the complete picture of your credit history from all three nationwide credit reporting agencies delivered in a single, easy-to-read report. With an Equifax 3-in-1 Credit Report with Score Power®, you'll receive:
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Identity Theft on
Social Networking Sites
There are many steps you can take to help safeguard yourself against identity theft. From being more vigilant when shopping online to shredding personally identifying documents' good habits of safeguarding your personal information can help keep you from becoming an easy target. But did you know that what you may consider friendly social networking could be an invitation to identity thieves?
Sites all across the Internet are allowing for more fluid social networking and interpersonal exchange. Everyone knows of the overwhelming popularity of sites like MySpace® and Facebook®. But what you may not realize is that identity thieves can use the basic information you post on sites like these — or even masquerade as friends to obtain other necessary information — to assume your identity and fraudulently open accounts in your name.
It can be fun — and even beneficial — to become involved in social network websites, but you have to take precautions to ensure that your identity is not at risk. Many of these sites have spaces for your name, date of birth, location, e-mail, job, marital status and more! A lot of times, identity thieves can find most of your information they need with one click. If they still want more, what's to stop them from creating a fake profile, uploading fake pictures, and trying to befriend you for the rest of the information? It can be hard to determine which accounts are real and which are simply scammers looking for an easy target. There are, however, important security measures to help you protect the power of your identity and credit.
All reputable social networking sites offer privacy options that limit how much information strangers can see. The more stringent protection you choose, the less likely you are to become a victim of this type of identity fraud. These measures, however, do not protect you from confusing an identity thief with a potential friend, so it pays to be cautious when allowing people into your social network — if someone claims to be the friend of a friend, confirm that they are genuine. If you're still unsure, consider declining the connection. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Of course, guarding your personal information on social networking sites is just one step you can take towards thwarting identity theft. In addition to your personal information protection efforts, a monitoring product — like Equifax Credit Watch™ Gold with 3-in-1 Monitoring — can minimize the damage caused by identity theft by providing early warning of potentially fraudulent activity reported to your credit file. In the technology age, it's hard to keep your identity strictly to yourself. That's why it has become so important to monitor your credit — the first sign of identity breach. Make a commitment to protecting the power of your credit today.
Tip of the Month:
What to do if You're a Victim of Internet Fraud
If you suspect that someone has used your personal information fraudulently, there are several steps you should take. First, place a fraud alert with any one of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies to make sure that no further accounts are opened in your name. Regardless of whether you've obtained your annual free credit report, placing a fraud alert entitles you to a credit report free of charge. Review this carefully and request that any incorrect information be investigated or removed. Be sure to close any accounts that you believe to be fraudulent.
Call the police. While they may not be able to help you directly, it's an important step to show creditors that some of the accounts opened in your name are, indeed, fraudulent. It's critical to keep an accurate record of all matters regarding the suspected fraud — even keep track of how much time you spend dealing with the issue in case of a future lawsuit.
Finally, with Equifax subscription products, you can customize your alerts to make sure you know about key changes to your credit files within 24 hours of when they occur! This way, if you happen to be a victim of Internet fraud, the matter can be quickly resolved — putting you back in control of your financial health.
New Interactive Tool: Equifax Fraud Index™
Does Fraud Live Near You?
If you don't think that you're at risk of Internet fraud, think again. Let Equifax show you just how widespread and prevalent fraud really is with our Equifax Fraud Index™.
Equifax has been protecting personal information for over 107 years, and now we're pleased to put that experience to work for you. The Equifax Fraud Index is a free, dynamically searchable map that informs you about the threat of fraud and identity theft at the national, state and local levels.
Customer Know How:
Protect Your Information from Prying Eyes
With so much information now exchanged through the Internet, it's more important than ever to know how to keep your information secure. Here are several ways to ensure that your personal information doesn't fall into the wrong hands online:
- Don't post personal information on public websites. If you're asked for this information, find out how it will be used and who will have access to it before sharing.
- Never click a link or download an attachment from a suspicious e-mail. Make sure that the e-mails you receive are legitimate before taking any action or sharing any information.
- Take as many precautions as possible when shopping online. Look for an “https” address to ensure your personal information is sent over a secure server.
- When purchasing from an online store, be sure to read their privacy policies. While they're not the most interesting literature available, you need to know how a website will treat your personal information.
- Use established anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware software from reputable sources. These can help keep you one step ahead of malicious computer attacks. Be sure to configure each application to receive automatic software updates, and ensure that your protection remains at the highest level possible.
- Use stronger passwords. These are best comprised from a combination of upper/lowercase letters and numbers, with non-personally-identifying information, making it far harder for an identity thief to guess than if you use your basic information. Change your passwords frequently.
Monitor your credit file. In the event that you became a victim of fraud, it's important to know immediately, allowing you to act fast to protect against further damage. With tools like Equifax Credit Watch™ Gold with 3-in-1 Monitoring, you can be alerted within 24 hours of key changes to your credit file — enabling you to take immediate action to guard against increased damage.